Antimicrobial protective foot cover

ABSTRACT

A foot cover according to various embodiments can be configured to fit and completely enclose a foot of a wearer. An opening is formed within the foot cover for receiving the foot of the wearer. At least one rip seam is formed in the foot cover. A rip cord is disposed within the at least rip seam.

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to a foot cover. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a protective foot cover coated with a thin film comprising antimicrobial properties for use as a foot prophylactics intended to prevent the transmission of diseases.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoe removal has become a common procedure at security checkpoints as a security measure to prevent the introduction of explosives hidden in the hollowed out areas of footwear. At airport security checkpoints, the objective is to mitigate risk in a way that ensures security measures while both promoting the safe movement of people and commerce and guarding against a deliberate attack against the transportation systems.

However, one of the main reasons people dread removing their shoes at security checkpoints is the potential health risk. Walking around shoeless at the airport exposes passengers to the risk of contracting an infectious disease. Most of the infectious diseases that are associated with high morbidity and mortality are transmitted through skin contact or contact with a colonized surface in the environment. This includes highly resistant bacterial organisms, which is becoming a widely spread community organism, such as, for example, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or other resistant bacteria, fungi, viruses (such as the H1N1 and SARS, for example) as well as other parasitic pathogens. For example, MRSA is spread through direct physical contact or indirect touching of contaminated objects.

In addition, all of us sweat from the almost quarter of a million sweat glands in each foot. This perspiration breeds all sorts of harmful bacteria, fungus and microorganism. Thus, a human foot can be covered with a plethora of germs. These germs can cause infection, which can be very contagious. Travelers walking shoeless through an airport security check point with exposed feet can create a perfect breeding ground for spreading infections. The infection can spread from person-to-person with direct contact. It can spread through contact with infected shoes and shoes. It can spread if a traveler walks on a surface where an infected person has walked.

Therefore, travelers walking barefoot or even in socks in the airport are at risk of contracting highly transmissible disease caused by germs through contact on the floor. Even for travelers who wears some types of protective foot covers, contracting an infectious disease is still possible. In some circumstances, removal of protective covers, especially socks, require the users to touch the bottom of the which foot cover, which has be exposed to the unsanitary floor. Thus, the travelers pick the foot covers up with their hands. Sometimes, the traveler may then eat with their hands without washing, transporting the germs from the floor and other infested places to their mouth. Parasites that cause gastrointestinal infections associated with diarrhea can be transmitted through contact with dirty floor.

Thus, there is a need for a protective foot cover that completely covers and fully protects a user's bare feet from exposure to contaminated surfaces. There also remains a need for a protective foot cover that allows travelers to quickly insert and remove their feet with ease without the need to sit down. A further need is for removal of the protective foot cover without touching the sole or base of the foot cover.

III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device according to various exemplary embodiments can include a foot cover configured to fit and completely enclose a foot of a wearer. An opening is formed within the foot cover for receiving the foot of the wearer. At least one rip seam is formed in the foot cover. A rip cord is disposed within the at least rip seam.

In the following description, certain aspects, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more features of these aspects and embodiments. It should be understood that these aspects and embodiments are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.

IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a foot cover in accordance with the present teachings;

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of an exemplary embodiment during use of a foot cover in accordance with the present teachings; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view of an exemplary embodiment after use of a foot cover in accordance with the present teachings.

The present disclosure may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various process operations and arrangements of process operations. The present disclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which, like reference numerals may indicate corresponding or similar parts in the various figures. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Given the following enabling description of the drawings, the novel aspects of the present disclosure should become evident to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the applications and uses disclosed herein. Further, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or summary or the following detailed description.

Throughout the application, description of various embodiments may use “comprising” language, however, it will be understood by one of skill in the art, that in some specific instances, an embodiment can alternatively be described using the language “consisting essentially of ” or “consisting of.”

For purposes of better understanding the present teachings and in no way limit the scope of the teachings, it will be clear to one of skill in the art that the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. Therefore, the terms “a,” “an” and “at least one” are used interchangeably in this application.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages or proportions, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained. In some instances, “about” can be understood to mean a given value ±5%. Therefore, for example, about 100 nm, could mean 95-105 nm. At the very least, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

Various embodiments provide a system and method that relates to a protective foot cover that completely covers and fully protects a user's bare feet from exposure to contaminated surfaces. In various embodiments, the system and method provide a protective foot cover that allows travelers to quickly insert and remove their feet with ease without the need to sit down. Various embodiments of the system and method enable removal of the protective foot cover without touching the sole or base of the foot cover.

FIG. 1 illustrates a foot cover 100 that is intended to protect the wearer from contracting a variety of known infectious skin diseases that can be transmitted to exposed skin from contaminated surfaces. In one embodiment, the foot cover 100 is used to protect traveler's feet during security screening. Although the embodiment to be illustrated and described is directed to use in conjunction with an airport security screening device, the present teaching is not so limited. Such intended usage can include clean rooms, laboratories, medical facilities, nursing homes, and hospitals.

The foot cover 100, according to various embodiments, is preferably for a single use and as such is made of a disposable material, such as paper, cellulose, cotton or other fibrous material or of a plastic material. Preferably, the device is formed from a paper or cellulose material and, for environmental reasons, most preferably paper or other biodegradable material such that it can be easily disposed of. For example, a material suitable for use as the foot cover 100 is a recyclable, lightweight, woven, poly cotton. However, any material sufficiently strong to withstand forces exerted when the wearer walks is suitable for use as the foot cover.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the foot cover 100 can be constructed from at least two panels or sections 102 a, 102 b. In various embodiments, the foot cover 100 can be constructed of a single piece of material. In some embodiments, the foot cover 100 can be constructed of a single piece of material, which comprises at least two panels 102 a, 102 b. In various embodiments, the panels 102 a, 102 b are glued together along the edges thereof to form a shoe-shaped enclosure, resembling a booty, and having an opening 104 for receiving the wearer's foot. In various embodiments, the panels 102 a, 102 b are joined together by an adhesive, glue, stitching or a combination thereof along the various edges to form at least one seam. The seams can be joined in a continuous or discontinuous manner.

For example, the hot melt adhesive joint can be used to provide a top seam 106 and a heel seam 108 (FIG. 2). In various embodiments, the top seam 106 extends from the toe portion in an upward direction along a portion of the top section. In various embodiments, the top seam 106 extends from the toe portion and ends at the opening 104. In various embodiments, the heel seam 108 extends in an upward direction along a portion of the heel section. In various embodiment, the heel seam 108 extends completely the heel section.

Elastic 110 is provided around at least a portion of the opening 104 to keep the foot cover in place snugly on the wearer's foot thereby enabling the cover 100 to fit a wide range of foot sizes. Thus, foot cover 100 is provided with an elasticized ankle portion. Elastic 110 is capable of being stretched and maintained in tension while the cover 100 is being applied to the wearer's foot. When the tension is released, the elastic 110 causes the section of the panel at the top to gather and surround the wearer's ankle.

To ensure protection from contamination, the foot cover 110 provides complete foot coverage such that the bottom, sides and top portions are completely covered. The foot cover 110 provides an upper portion sufficiently high enough to completely surround the ankle area of the wearer.

In various embodiments, the foot cover 100 can be made adjustable to accommodate various sizes, such as a one size fits many configurations. In other embodiments, the foot cover can be manufactured having various common sizes: extra small (child), small, medium, large, and extra large.

In order to maintain robustness and integrity of the foot cover during use, the sole or base 112 is made water proof or water repellent, by, for example, compression, coating with a water proof or water repellent material or impregnating with a water proof or water repellent material. In various embodiments, the foot cover 100 is hypoallergenic to avoid skin irritation.

Preferably, the material of the foot cover 100 is clear and transparent to enable quick visual inspection as the traveler passes through the security checkpoint. The foot cover will also be x-ray proof to enable x-ray inspection, in addition to the visual inspection.

As described above, infected travelers can frequently contaminate items in their immediate vicinity with microbes that may remain viable on surfaces for days to weeks. Microbes are not visible by the naked eye. They include a variety of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Bacteria grow very rapidly under warmth and moisture. Some specific types of bacteria are pathogenic and cause cross infection.

Infestation by microbes can cause cross infection by pathogens. Contaminated surfaces contribute to the spread of infectious microbes. In some instances, travelers can acquire microbes following direct contact with contaminated equipment or other surfaces. Contaminated surfaces can act as sources from which travelers can contaminate their feet when walking shoeless through the security checkpoint. In addition, travelers can contaminate their hands by touching contaminated surfaces, and can transmit microbes if their hands are not cleansed appropriately.

In various embodiments, the foot cover 100 comprises an antimicrobial agent 122 that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. The antimicrobial agent of the foot cover provides several beneficial features. One benefit is to avoid cross infection by pathogenic microorganism. To control the infestation by microbes. Another benefit is that the foot cover can be used primarily at scanning area or airports after shoes are removed to protect passengers/travelers from foot trauma, exposure to contaminated surface of airport floor and scanning areas.

A further benefit of the foot cover 100 is to protect passengers from a potential bioterror attack that deliberately infects the scanning areas or surfaces to cause the spread of disease or other harmful substances. The threat of bioterrorism is a major concern of the airline industry. A bioterrorist attack on any building, including an airport, has the potential to cause illness and fatalities, fear, and major financial costs.

Bioagents can include pathogens, which are disease-causing agents, and biotoxins, which are poisonous substances produced by a living organism. Bioagents can be introduced to a building as a surface contaminant on an object, as a bioaerosol or powder. Surfaces such as screening facilities, door knobs, phones, and keyboards are common reservoirs for infectious microorganisms due to the regularity of human contact.

Transmission through direct and indirect contact can occur when an individual touches a contaminated surface or individual. The individual may then cause secondary contamination by touching additional surfaces throughout the building, or other individuals.

The behavior of individuals within the building can impact the spread of the contaminant and the rate of infection. The human interaction with the building environment can inadvertently contribute to the transmission of bioagent. The movement of contaminated individuals throughout a building, and the surfaces and individuals that the contaminated individual comes in physical contact with will dictate the spread of the bioagent through direct contact.

The actions that individuals take to evade or mitigate contamination can play an important role in biosecurity to reduce the risk of transmission of a bioagent. Therefore, foot cover 100 provides a mechanism to protect travelers walking through an airline security checkpoint and mitigates the spread of bioagents.

Furthermore, the threat of a bioterrorist attacks opens up many difficult legal questions. Bioterrorism attacks may expose the airline industry to liability from many different possible claims such as property, commercial general liability, workers' compensation and business interruption depending upon the circumstances of the claim. Therefore, another benefit is that the foot cover 100 can potentially mitigate liability for airlines for disease or trauma to passengers during the scanning process.

To protect the wearer, an antimicrobial finish 122 can be applied to the material of the foot cover 100 to impart antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial treatment can be applied to fulfill at least one or more of the above-described objectives. In various embodiments, the antimicrobial treatment can be applied to one or more sections of the foot cover, such as sole or base 112. In other embodiments, the antimicrobial treatment can be applied to the entire foot cover.

The antimicrobial agents 122 can be applied to the foot cover by exhaust, pad-dry-cure, coating, spray and foam. The antimicrobial agent can also be applied directly into the material of the foot cover. Namely, in various embodiments, antimicrobial fabric treatment can be use to durably bind effective antimicrobial ingredients/agents to the fabric to inhibit the growth of bacteria on and in the material.

In various embodiments, bioactive fibers 122 with built-in antimicrobial properties will also serve the purpose alone or in blends with other fibers to fabricate a portion of or the entire foot cover. Bioactive fibers typically include chemotherapeutics in their structures, i.e., synthetic drugs of bactericidal and fungicidal qualities.

Those having skill in the art would recognize various antimicrobial agents can be used as an additive to the foot cover, such as, for example, silver ions, triclosan, organic anti-fungi, colloidal silver, nano silver, AgCl/TiO2, silver ceramic, sodium silver zirconium phosphate, silver zeolite, silver glass, their substantially functional equivalents, or combinations thereof. In the preferred embodiment, the antimicrobial fabric contains silver for use as the antimicrobial agent. Silver ions are integrated into the fiber, taking effect on the surface and remaining permanently in the fabric.

Furthermore, the antimicrobial agent is selected to be compatible with skin and the environment.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, at least one rip seam 114 a, 114 b can be included within the foot cover 100 to enable easy removal of the foot. The rip seam 114 a, 114 b feature permits the user to remove the foot cover 100 without needing to sit. This also provides an additional sanitary feature, which enables the user to remove the foot cover without touching the sole or base 112 of the foot cover.

At least one rip seam 114 a, 114 b can be formed in the fabric of the foot cover for holding the fabric together during security examination, but permitting the fabric to separate when the rip seam is placed under tension. In various embodiments, a plurality of rip seams is formed in the foot cover. In various embodiments, the rip seams 114 a, 114 b may be provided as an extension of the conventional seams 106, 108. In various embodiments, the rip seams are separate and distinct from the conventional seams 106, 108. The rip seam 114 a, 114 b is positioned so as to open the foot cover from the end of the rip seam to the opening 104 with a single pulling motion.

The rip seam 114 a, 114 b comprises a rip cord 116 formed, for example, as a string or cord. The rip cord 116 extends throughout the rip seam 114 a, 114 b and is sufficiently strong to separate the rip seam when a tension in the form of an upward pulling motion is applied. The rip cord 116 can made, for example, of twisted fibers or threads. It is understood that any material which has the ability to split the rip seam 114 a, 114 b can be used. In various embodiments, the rip cord 116 can be inserted within the rip seam 114 a, 114 b through stitching, adhesive, glue, or a combination thereof.

Although the embodiment illustrated and described is directed to upward motion of the rip cord 116, the present invention is not so limited. One skilled in the art would recognize that a variety of directional movements, such as “downward”, “sideward” motion or a combination thereof, can be used to split the rip seam 114 a, 114 b.

In various embodiments, the rip seam can be configured to extend from various positions of the opening. For example, the rip seam may extend along the length of the front, back, side or a combination thereof of the foot cover. The example of FIG. 1 illustrates the rip seam 114 a extending along the length of the front of the foot cover 100. The example of FIG. 2 illustrates the rip seam 114 b extending along the heel of the foot cover 100. Preferably, the rip seam 114 a, 114 b extends at least half-way the length of the front cover and heel, respectively, to split the foot cover sufficiently large enough to enable quick removal of the user's foot.

A release tab 120 is attached at an end of the rip cord 116 as a grasping mechanism to facilitate movement of the rip cord 116. The release tab 120 can formed having various shapes and materials. In the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-3, the release tab 120 is depicted as a circular ring. It is understood that the release tab can be configured to have various configuration, such as triangle, square, rectangle, circular, oval, etc. In various embodiments, the foot cover may include more than one release tab with corresponding rip cords. The release tab can be made of a cost-effective material that is relatively cheap to produce such as paper, plastic, metal, polymer or a combination thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pulling movement of the rip cord 116 causes the rip seam 114 a, 114 b to split such that the foot cover opens up, folds and collapses upon itself (FIG. 3). This feature can mitigate the retransmission of contaminants.

Splitting the rip seam 114 a, 114 b enables the opening of the enclosed foot cover to be enlarged after use to permit removal in a quick, simple movement, without requiring the traveler to sit or touch the bottom of the foot cover. When the release tab is pulled, the rip seam will separate so that the foot cover opens to allow the user's foot to be easily removed.

In various embodiments, the foot cover 100 may be designed and configured to split along one or more predetermined rip seams 114 a, 114 b. The elastic portion 110 surrounds the ankle, except at a non-elastic portion 118 where the rip seams 114 a, 114 b unite with the opening 104. The non-elastic portion 110 enables the rip cord 116 when pulled to completely split the fabric as shown in FIG. 3.

In use, the traveler is provided with an easily removal, single-use, disposable foot cover. For ease of operation, the rip seam operates to open the foot cover when the wearer pulls the release tab. As shown in FIG. 3, the fabric splits, opening the foot cover and permitting the traveler to step out of the foot cover.

After use, the release tab 120 remains attached so that it can be used to easily grasp and pick up the foot cover for disposal into a waste bind or trash can. This enables removal and disposal of the foot cover without contacting or spreading contaminants, which lessens retransmission of contaminate.

In contrast to the use of conventional attachment devices, such as zippers, Velcro, buttons or snaps, the rip cord within the rip seam configuration provides a simple construction wherein the foot cover can be manufactured as a single cover that completely encloses the wearer's foot. The rip seam is integrally constructed within the fabric of the foot cover to form a sealed, unitary component comprising the rip cord. This construction results in a foot prophylactic that aids in the hygiene to the wearer by preventing the transmission of disease.

Alternative embodiments, examples, and modifications which would still be encompassed by the disclosure may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Further, it should be understood that the terminology used to describe the disclosure is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the preferred and alternative embodiments described above can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described herein. 

We claim:
 1. A foot cover comprising: a foot cover configured to fit and completely enclose a foot of a wearer; an opening formed within the foot cover for receiving the foot of the wearer; at least one rip seam formed in the foot cover; and a rip cord disposed within the at least rip seam.
 2. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover comprises a foot prophylactic to prevent transmission of at least one of diseases and bioagents.
 3. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover comprises an antimicrobial agent.
 4. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover comprises bioactive fibers with antimicrobial properties.
 5. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover comprises fibers integrated with silver ion to impart antimicrobial properties to the fibers.
 6. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover is transparent.
 7. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover comprises a disposable material.
 8. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein at least one characteristic of a material of the foot cover is selected from at least one of recyclable, lightweight, woven, and poly cotton.
 9. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover is water proof or water repellent.
 10. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover is hypoallergenic.
 11. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover is x-ray proof to enable x-ray inspection.
 12. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rip seam is configured to be sufficiently strong to sustain normal walking movements, and is sufficiently weak to permit the at least one rip seam to split when placed under tension.
 13. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein an elastic material is provided around at least a first portion of the opening and excluding at least a second portion of the opening where the at least one rip seam extends through the opening.
 14. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the rip cord is formed within the fabric extending upwardly and uniting with the opening.
 15. The foot cover according to claim 1, further comprises a ring attached to an end of the rip cord to enable removal of the foot from the foot cover without touching a sole or base of the foot cover.
 16. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the rip cord is configured such that, when the rip cord is pulled, tension is placed on the at least one rip seam splitting and opening along the at least one rip seam to permit removal of the foot from the foot cover.
 17. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover is configured to split open along the at least one rip seam with a single pulling motion of the rip cord.
 18. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the opening further comprising an ankle-receiving portion of the foot cover for directly contacting a wearer's ankle.
 19. The foot cover according to claim 1, wherein the foot cover is configured for use in a security-screening checkpoint for preventing transmission of diseases and bioagents. 